Coching Chu (; March 7, 1890 – February 7, 1974) was a Chinese
geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid, liquid, and gaseous matter that constitutes Earth and other terrestrial planets, as well as the processes that shape them. Geologists usually study geology, earth science, or geophysics, althou ...
and
meteorologist
A meteorologist is a scientist who studies and works in the field of meteorology aiming to understand or predict Earth's atmospheric phenomena including the weather. Those who study meteorological phenomena are meteorologists in research, while t ...
.
Born in
Shangyu
Shangyu District () is a district of the prefecture-level city of Shaoxing in the northeast of Zhejiang province, China. At the 2010 census, its population in the built-up (''or metro'') area was 779,412, up from 722,523 in the 2000 census. Shan ...
,
Zhejiang
Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized as Chekiang) is an eastern, coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by Jiang ...
, Chu went to
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
for his college education in 1910. He graduated from the College of Agriculture,
University of Illinois
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the University ...
in 1913. In 1918, he received his Ph.D. in meteorology from
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
.
From 1920 to 1929, he was chairperson of Department of Meteorology,
Nanjing University
Nanjing University (NJU; ) is a national public research university in Nanjing, Jiangsu. It is a member of C9 League and a Class A Double First Class University designated by the Chinese central government. NJU has two main campuses: the Xianl ...
(formerly known as the Nanking Higher Normal School, National Southeastern University, and National Central University).
From 1929 to 1936 he served as director of the Chinese Institute of Meteorology of the
Academia Sinica
Academia Sinica (AS, la, 1=Academia Sinica, 3=Chinese Academy; ), headquartered in Nangang, Taipei, is the national academy of Taiwan. Founded in Nanking, the academy supports research activities in a wide variety of disciplines, ranging from ...
, which at the time was located in mainland China. Academia Sinica later became the predecessor of the
Chinese Academy of Sciences
The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); ), known by Academia Sinica in English until the 1980s, is the national academy of the People's Republic of China for natural sciences. It has historical origins in the Academia Sinica during the Republ ...
of the
People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
on mainland China and the
Academia Sinica
Academia Sinica (AS, la, 1=Academia Sinica, 3=Chinese Academy; ), headquartered in Nangang, Taipei, is the national academy of Taiwan. Founded in Nanking, the academy supports research activities in a wide variety of disciplines, ranging from ...
of the
Republic of China
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast ...
on
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
.
From 1936 to 1949, he served as the president of
National Chekiang University
Zhejiang University, abbreviated as ZJU or Zheda and formerly romanized as Chekiang University, is a national public research university based in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. It is a member of the prestigious C9 League and is selected into the n ...
(now known as
Zhejiang University
Zhejiang University, abbreviated as ZJU or Zheda and formerly romanized as Chekiang University, is a national public research university based in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. It is a member of the prestigious C9 League and is selected into the na ...
) and elevated the institution to one of the most prestigious universities in China. During that time, he sent manuscripts relating to the history of Chinese science to Joseph Needham in England.
On October 16, 1949, he was assigned to the position of vice president of the
Chinese Academy of Sciences
The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); ), known by Academia Sinica in English until the 1980s, is the national academy of the People's Republic of China for natural sciences. It has historical origins in the Academia Sinica during the Republ ...
.
In 1955, he was elected an academician of the
Chinese Academy of Sciences
The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); ), known by Academia Sinica in English until the 1980s, is the national academy of the People's Republic of China for natural sciences. It has historical origins in the Academia Sinica during the Republ ...
.
Academic papers
''Some Chinese Contributions to Meteorology''Geographical Review: Vol. 5, No. 2. (Feb., 1918), pp. 136–139.
''A New Classification of Typhoons of the Far East''Monthly Weather Review: Vol. 52, No. 12. (Dec., 1924), pp. 570–579.
''The Place of Origin and Recurvature of Typhoons''Monthly Weather Review: Vol. 53, No. 1 (Jan., 1925), pp. 1–5.
*''The Complete Works of Coching Chu'' Shanghai Scientific & Technological Education Publishing House
Further reading
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chu, Coching
1890 births
1974 deaths
Boxer Indemnity Scholarship recipients
20th-century Chinese geologists
Chinese meteorologists
Educators from Shaoxing
Fudan University alumni
Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni
Members of Academia Sinica
Members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
Nanjing University faculty
National Central University faculty
People from Shangyu
Presidents of Zhejiang University
Scientists from Shaoxing
University of Illinois College of Agriculture, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences alumni
Wuhan University faculty
Zhejiang University faculty
Coching Chu